One of the most important lessons we learned is that our lives and our businesses will teach us along the way. We don’t need to know everything on day one because the challenges we face on day will likely be ones we are already equipped to handle. As we overcome challenges we get better and better and as the challenges increase in difficulty so too does our ability to tackle them.

We asked members of the community that we admire to share important lessons their business or career has taught them and have shared some of those responses below.

Elijah Britton | Actor, Model & Student

The importance of patients oh my goodness lol. Patients and time management. Its so funny in the entertainment industry you can go from doing absolutely nothing having your entire month booked solid in a matter of hours, so I’ve found time management can really make all the difference. Read more>>

Cynthia Rowley | Retail Store Owner & Decorative Painting Contractor

The most important lesson I’ve learned is follow your heart, values and your beliefs. I ran a successful decorative painting business for 25 years prior to owning my own store front. I found Annie Sloan Chalk Paint almost 12 years ago, when asked to become an independent retailer I knew I could help others become successful with their painting projects. Her paint was outstanding and different from any other paint I had tried. I also dreamed of owning my own store, her paint allowed me to make that dream come true. I started out in an industrial area with a small decorative painting studio, but I wanted to evolve into my own store. When customers came to learn how to transform furniture pieces I wanted to have other items to help them decorate as well. Read more>>

Sarah Moshman | Documentary Filmmaker, Author, Speaker & Teacher

As an independent documentary filmmaker, my career has taught me not to wait around for an opportunity to come to me, but to go out and create my own opportunities instead. I see being a filmmaker as a parallel journey to that of an entrepreneur. I’m coming up with ideas, fundraising to get projects off the ground, creating and shaping the project with a team of talented people, and then finding a way to distribute the project so that it can make the most impact and revenue. Many of us wait to be picked, wait for permission or to feel “ready” when the secret is that no one ever feels completely ready to take on a new project or huge endeavor. You’ve gotta jump in and figure it out piece by piece. I’m grateful to hold that lesson close to my heart everyday. Read more>>

Kxvin Tylxr | Singer & Song Writer

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that Nobody else’s opinion matters. Just be yourself. Read more>>